FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Jaxson Dart set Ole Miss records for yards passing and touchdown throws in a single game, leapfrogging Matt Corral and Eli Manning, in the 19th-ranked Rebels’ dominating 63-31 win over Arkansas on Saturday.
Dart threw four scores and 321 yards in just the first half. He found Jordan Watkins on five of the TDs, including one for 62 yards and another for 66 on back-to-back drives. They were just three offensive plays apart. Dart ultimately finished 25 of 31 passing for 515 yards with six touchdowns.
Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) led 35-10 at halftime after scoring on three straight drives over the first and second quarters. The Rebels opened and closed the first-half scoring when Princely Umanmielen pounced on a Taylen Green fumble in the end zone midway through the first quarter and Dart capped things with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Watkins with five seconds left in the half, his fourth passing score in the game’s first half hour.
Arkansas (5-4, 3-3 SEC) had stuffed the Rebels at the goal line on the Rebels’ first drive for about the only meaningful stop the Razorbacks had all game. Ole Miss racked up 694 yards of total offense. In all, Ole Miss scored on seven of its nine possessions with its starters in the game, only punting once in that span.
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman went largely with reserves starting about halfway through the third quarter. Backup quarterback Malachi Singleton was 11-of-14 passing for 207 yards with a touchdown pass, and he ran for another 39 yards with a touchdown. The Razorbacks also scored rushing touchdowns from Rashod Dubinion and Rodney Hill.
Watkins set school records with five touchdown catches and 254 yards receiving. Watkins’ five receiving touchdowns tied the single-game SEC record last done by Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt against Alabama in 2022, according to ESPN Research.
Additionally, Watkins is the seventh FBS receiver since 1996 with 250 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in a game. Dae’Quan Wright caught the other Dart touchdown pass and added another from Austin Simmons in the fourth quarter.
Big picture
Ole Miss not only can play spoiler against No. 2 Georgia next week, but also should find itself in conversation for the College Football Playoff by doing so.
Arkansas has already eclipsed its win total from last season, though the Razorbacks remain one win short of bowl eligibility, solidly in the middle of the SEC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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